Seattle Good Business Network, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, has a long history of hosting dining events in partnership with the Seattle-area restaurant community, numerous media partners, and sponsors.

In 2012 Seattle Good Business Network was honored to take on the decade-old dining promotion, Dine Around Seattle. The event ran each March and November, offering diners a chance to enjoy prix fixe menus from roughly 50 of Seattle’s best independent and locally-owned restaurants. 

On a separate track, in 2010, Seattle Restaurant Week (SRW) was established by the Seattle Restaurant Cooperative, a group of local restaurateurs including John Howie, Pam Hinckley, and Maria Hines, to create a more expansive event that would support more restaurants during the ‘shoulder season,’ or the historically slower dining times during fall and spring.

While both events flourished, the restaurant community found participating in back-to-back events taxing on their kitchens, and many were concerned about customer confusion between the two promotions.

In the fall of 2017, in the spirit of supporting and uniting the local culinary community, the decision was made to streamline the promotions into one premier event flying under the Seattle Restaurant Week banner, and Seattle Restaurant Cooperative transferred ownership of SRW to Seattle Good Business Network.

“The combined promotion married with the mission of Seattle Good Business Network lays a strong foundation to build from. It’s good for restaurants, for diners, and for our local farms and other local food and beverage producers. We’re thrilled with this outcome,” said acclaimed restaurateur and Seattle Restaurant Cooperative Co-founder John Howie.

From 2017 through 2020, The Seattle Times continued as a presenting sponsor and marketing arm for the event. At the time of the merger, Kati Erwert, director of marketing at The Seattle Times, said “Seattle Times readers, users, and the community love Seattle Restaurant Week. It is wonderful to join Seattle Good Business Network in providing a single dining promotion. Our participation furthers our daily efforts to illuminate our thriving, local dining scene.” 

In 2020, in response to the unprecedented challenges presented by Covid-19, the historically three-course prix-fixe menu event pivoted to a more inclusive, community-based event that maintained the celebration of local culinary excellence and diversity, while responding to meet ever-evolving health and safety recommendations.

Seattle Restaurant Week opened up to any eatery, from brick-and-mortar to food truck or pop-up or anything in between, and establishments were not charged a fee to participate.

Meal options extend beyond the historical three-course prix-fixe format, offering meal kits, cocktail add-ons, and small plates. The range of options opens the promotion beyond restaurant walls to provide diners a menu solution to meet all needs–whether a special occasion, virtual event, team lunch, or even dinner at home.

In addition, Seattle Restaurant Week introduced to diners the opportunity to share great food with those in need through the Give a Meal promotion. With their donation or SRW meal purchase, diners can support restaurant community kitchens that are producing nourishing free meals for community members facing food insecurity.

In 2023, we paused to re-evaluate the changes we’d made amid the evolving landscape as we transitioned from the acute crisis of the pandemic. We sought input from those in the restaurant community, from whom we had been getting regular feedback through our Seattle Restaurant Week Advisory Committee, which has included over 25 food business owners and operators.

We heard loud and clear that the direction we had taken to offer more flexibility was supportive of our businesses, allowed more equitable access to entry, and created a more inclusive promotion that celebrates the diversity of good food in our region — and it should be continued. Thus, we didn’t change much except to reintroduce a small participation fee to help us financially sustain the promotion, while pursuing sponsorship for fee waivers to ensure all could participate.

Today, we continue this beloved promotion in its evolved form, strengthening our local economy and contributing to Seattle’s independent and innovative culinary culture. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating our hardworking, innovative, and resilient restaurant community — showing support has never been so delicious!

We hope you’ll join us in celebrating our hardworking, innovative, and resilient restaurant community — showing support has never been so delicious!